ORIGINAL NEW ORLEANS COCKTAILS pt1 – Vieux Carré & Ramos Gin Fizz

Vieux Carrè cocktail

Tales of the Cocktail may still seem far away but time flies and what is more fitting prior to the Tales than mixing up some genuine cocktails from the city where the cocktail was born and where the Tales of the Cocktailis celebrated each year since eight years back now.

There´s no city in the world that knows how to throw a party like they do in New Orleans and with party usually comes also cocktails. I think there are “cocktails” and there are “drinks” – like those popular go-cups you see on Bourbon st and they may have their own charm but here i`m gonna talk about genuinely hand crafted and wonderful cocktails, some of the best that have ever been made.

I`ll have to break down my posting about these awesome concoctions into a few posts. If you`re interested in the history of the cocktails of New Orleans and have a chance you should visit the Museum of the American Cocktail now on april 5th when Darcy from Art of Drink will make a presentation on the influence of soda in cocktails, specifically those of New Orleans. You can read more about this here.

VIEUX CARRÉ COCKTAIL

This is the signature cocktail of the famous Carousel bar in the hotel Monteleone.This particular bar is especially interesting since its made from parts of an actual old carousel that revolves around the bar which is circular. Luckily is not moving fast…but its moving…and it’s a funny experience – and of course you get well crafted cocktails there – its a must try if you are going to New Orleans and the Tales.

You`ll sooner or later most likely find yourself in one of those marvellous barstools and when you do – take your chance and try the signature cocktail the Vieux Carrè – The old square – as its called – after the French quarter which is built like a square and where Monteleone also is. It was first mixed by Walter Bergeron in the 1930s.

Aromatic with the vermouth and nicely boozy but not too much, this cocktail is actually easy to drink. If you like rye then this is for you.

The next one needs no presentation, really – but for those who doesn`t know – this is one of the most famous cocktails of New Orleans – The Ramos Gin Fizz – and its a great cocktail with a history dating back to 1888. A smooth awesomeness just like the Absinthe or Herbsaint Suissesse – a dream of fluffy clouds…and if i say “easy to drink” well this one defies the word “easy”. Its maybe a good thing its a bit laboursome to mix – it may become a natural precaution of making yourself too many…unless you cheat with the handmixer;-)

What you do then is starting it up with a handmixer in the glass incorporating air into it, mix for 20 seconds, then add ice and shake as usual for another 30 seconds. Now you`ve gained a lot of time and pain. This is also traditionally a morning cocktail – a day after refreshener. Usually i don`t start my mornings with a cocktail, i more likely have a coffee…but during Tales its more of a chance i would do that. In the right environment its a very nice thing.

The Ramos gin fizz was invented by Henry C Ramos in his bar Meyer`s Restaurant. It was orignally called the “New Orleans Fizz” and an armada of “shaker boys” used to take turns to shake it to the right consistency. This was before the prohibition. The poularity of this drink faded away with new times and new speeds but today when old cocktails are ressurrected again its more served also outside of New Orleans.

The fluffy dreamy texture comes from the egg whites and using raw eggs in cocktails is nothing to fear – but if raw eggs is an issue there´s also powdered egg whites and they are simply egg whites where water has been removed. I have never tried it though. The secret in this cocktail is the combination of egg white and a touch of orange flower water.

Shake all ingredients except the soda and shake very well, when you think you`re done, shake some more – the more the better – and shake first without ice and then with ice – so that the egg white emulsifies and the drink becomes very cold and frothy. (Or use the handmixer way to do it – but really if you want to follow tradition…shake, shake, shake..)Then strain into a chilled highball glass without ice. Top with a little club soda to get some fizz. No garnish – usually, but if you like to – a thin strip of orange, lemon or lime peel/slice is nice i think.

Nice write-up of two fine cocktails! If things work out the way are supposed to I will have a bottle of Hayman’s Old Tom in my possession some time next week. The Ramos gin fizz will be the first thing I mix up with the Hayman’s, and I think it was a cocktail that originally would have used an old tom gin.

And. . . I also have a bottle of ONO Cajun Spiced Rum on it’s way back from New Orleans with friends, so I’ll finally be able to taste one of your favorites. Yay!

Heck yeah, what an intriguing rum that Cajun Spice is. It’s going to be finding its way into all sorts of drinks around here. Well done, ONOR!

And I should have known my luck at snagging hard to get bottles wouldn’t hold out. No Hayman’s Old Tom yet. . . but still hoping. It was especially hard with several interesting gin cocktails getting tossed around at the TDN yesterday, and having to sit on the sidelines for most of them.

Late to the party as usual, but I finally have both Hayman’s Old Tom and orange flower waer on hand, so tonight is Ramos Gin Fizz night!

I couldn’t help but think that your call for 1.25 oz of simple syrup may have been a typo, so after staring at some other gin fiz recipes decided that a mere .25 oz was the right call. Didn’t skimp on the egg white and shook the bejeezus out of it, and I’m now enjoying a very nice drink.

Egg just gives drinks such a great texture and mouthfeel. My wife is so deathly afraid of egg as a cocktail ingredient, but last week on our L.A. jaunt at Varnish I made sure she had a proper Plymouth sloeberry fizz with egg white and she loved it. Of course, I haven’t exactly told her there was egg white in it. . .

Dry shake, shake with ice for atleast 5 minutes, single strain into a chimney glass, then kind of bounce the glass on the counter or tap the bottom with a muddler for another minute or two. You will see the meringue separate from the rest of the liquid kind of about in the middle of the glass. The meringue should also stop shaking in the glass and firm up. At this point make a small hole in the center of the top with a straw, slowly pour the ounce of soda out of a jigger into that little hole you made. The meringue head will foam up a half inch to even two inches out of the glass, it looks fantastic! Garnish with grated nutmeg, and drink without a straw. Cheers! 😉